3 Strategies on How to Stay Positive in A Toxic Work Environment
3 Strategies on How to Stay Positive in A Toxic Work Environment
by nukhba khan
Reading Time: 7 mins
First things first, a toxic workplace is more than just hating your job. We all have days where we dread work and have a bad Monday or a challenging week. That is just the nature of having a career. It’s cyclical. And then you get through a tough Monday or survive a rough period at work.
A toxic workplace is when you have these challenges happening on repeat, and you can never find any breathing space.
Now, many of us know what it feels like to be stressed at work. But when it is a toxic workplace, it is a different kind of feeling. It’s like having a persistent sinking feeling in your gut, and you feel hopeless. Because no matter what you do, you can’t seem to make it better for you. The circumstances are beyond your control. And they are impacting not just your professional life but your personal life too.
A toxic workplace can take different shapes and forms. It can be poor leadership, lack of respect, communication, or lack of trust. But whatever the reasons, it cannot be taken lightly because it leaves a significant impact on your mental health.
So let’s discuss some of the red flags of a toxic work environment so you can take a hard look around your workplace and see if you are trapped in one.
Signs of Toxic Workplace Culture
1. Unclear Goals
Ever feel like you are moving like a headless chicken at work? Trying to get all these different projects done, but you have absolutely no clarity on how it will all contribute to the bigger goals of your company?
Clear goals help move organizations forward. More importantly, it also gives you direction on what you need to focus on to make sure you are progressing in your career. When you know you are contributing and making it a headway on the company’s goals and your own career goals, it helps you be productive and happy at work.
Unfortunately, when organizations do not have clearly defined and communicated goals, it can lead to employees feeling lost in their careers.
2. Work Deadlines Take Priority Over Emotional Well-being
“You won’t believe how late I left work last night.”
“I can’t remember the last time I took a proper vacation.”
” I’m sick (again).”
Is it common to hear the above phrases at your workplace?
Especially when people are saying it in a boastful manner, it is a big sign that something is amiss about your workplace culture.
When it is common for your coworkers to be talking about working late nights and working on weekends, it’s a sign that this behaviour is expected. This implies that your organization places unsustainable workloads on its employees and celebrates them.
When meeting deadlines and producing results are more valued than the people, this screams, “this is toxic”!
3. Leadership is blind
This happens when your leadership team is utterly oblivious to what is happening on the ground. They have zero awareness about the morale of workers or perhaps the dysfunctional ways of working. It’s like the leadership team is sitting up in their high offices without trying to understand the ways of working on the ground. This can quickly leave the workers feeling disconnected and vulnerable.
4. Cliques + Gossipy Behaviour
Does your workplace feel like a scene from your high-school cafeteria? Where certain groups of people stick together and have their endless inside jokes? This can feel very alienating even as adults for people outside these active cliques at work.
And on top of that, there are a lot of conversations amongst coworkers that are gossipy in nature, which can make the work culture feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Because now you have to watch what you say because your words may get twisted when shared with others.
This translates into creating a dysfunctional team where you are not comfortable asking for help when needed because that will show your weaknesses and make you vulnerable.
5. Favouritism
Even though it’s human to have favourites, good leadership actively resists any behaviour that displays signs of favouritism. Unfortunately, not all leaders follow this advice. They create those ‘star’ employees who can do no wrong, and even their most minor efforts are celebrated and recognized.
This kind of favouritism at the workplace is toxic. It breeds resentment, damages team unity, and is highly demotivating.
How to Survive in A Toxic Work Environment
Surviving a toxic workplace is not always easy, but it is absolutely possible. So, now let’s look at some of the healthy ways to deal with a toxic work environment.
1. Stay Focused
The most important thing for you to do if you are stuck in a toxic workplace is to define your professional goal. I.e., what role is this job playing in your long-term career growth?
Perhaps this company has a reputable name in your industry, and you want to build your experience here to add it to your resume. Or maybe you are looking to get some unique experience in this role. Or you are looking to move one level up, for example, from a manager to a senior manager position, before you even start thinking of another job.
You have to clearly define your reason for sticking out at this toxic job - and it has to be professional and not personal. For instance, it pays the bills is not a professional goal because you can easily start looking for another role that will provide you with a similar pay-check.
Once you know your goal or reasoning for wanting to be at this job, you then have to get laser-focused on accomplishing this goal. You have to not let workplace gossip, favouritism, unclear goals, bad leaders, or disrespectful coworkers get in the way of you achieving your professional goals.
Staying focused on your goal will also give you the purpose and motivation to overcome your work challenges.
The next tip on setting boundaries will help you create an environment where you can stay focused on your professional goal while also protecting yourself at this job.
2. Set Your Boundaries
Setting your boundaries at work is especially vital if you work in a toxic work environment. This means you have to put your limits on what is acceptable and unacceptable for you to survive in your toxic workplace.
When you are stuck in a toxic work environment, it’s all about finding what is still in your control that you can change. And then setting and enforcing boundaries that allow for that change to happen.
Boundaries will help you take back the power, even if they are over the small things. And boundaries are also a way for you to tell others how you’re willing to be treated.
Examples of healthy boundaries to set in a toxic culture are:
Not answering work emails outside of office hours.
Limit working after hours to only once a week.
Not working on weekends.
Carefully assess the opportunity before taking on tasks outside your job responsibilities.
Learning to say no to favours that will add an extra burden on your already heavy workload
Calling out people showing a disrespectful behaviour
Booking some non-negotiable time in your calendar where people cannot book meetings, and you can get your work done.
Setting these initial boundaries is a way to prove that you have done everything you could to improve or change your work situation. But of course, if your boundaries get overstepped, disrespected, or nothing changes, it might be time for you to draw the line and think about this next piece of advice.
3. Know That Nothing is Permanent
You have to drill this inside your head: your situation is temporary.
You can decide today to proactively look for opportunities to move on. If you find it difficult to believe that this job is really temporary, then taking action to explore new options will change your belief system.
Knowing this reality and realizing that you can do something, i.e., get out, will ease your work pressure instantly.
When to leave a toxic workplace
Suppose you have tried out different strategies to survive and reached a point where it seems like nothing you do relieves the stress and anxiety. In that case, it may be time to cut your losses and move on. There is no point in staying in a toxic environment that costs you your physical and mental health. It’s simply not worth it. It’s time for you to leave.
Summary: How to survive in a toxic work environment
Workplace toxicity is more common than you think. It’s sometimes very subtle, and one can end up taking the blame for constantly feeling stressed and anxious at work. That is why it is essential to stay vigilant! Observe your work environment to see if any red flags indicate that it’s not you but the toxic nature of your workplace.
While it takes more than just one person to change around an organization, at least you can learn how to protect yourself, watch your back and ensure that your well-being is taken care of. And when all else fails, i.e., your efforts to survive your toxic workplace are not producing the results you want to see, then know that it’s time for you to leave.
P.S. Do you feel hopelessly overwhelmed at work or in life? Do you need some help figuring out how to manage your work stressors better? Sometimes, you need a little help figuring out how to implement the best tips in your life.
My one-on-one coaching program can help you create an actionable plan to restore a sense of calm and live a happier life with ease and relaxation.
I am currently taking a selected number of new clients, so check out my 90-day program: Roadmap to Your Happiest Work & Life
Or drop me an email at: nukhba@projecthappyworklife.com, and we'll schedule a call to see if the program is a good fit for you.
MEET NUKHBA
Hey there, I am Nukhba, a Life Transformation Coach and Mindset Mentor.
I coach women in high-demand careers how to tackle and better manage their work stressors and self-doubts so they can confidently start to enjoy work and restore a sense of calm in their lives.
I know too well that if your work-life is not a happy place, it becomes challenging to be content outside of work also, and chances are you start to hate your life.
I believe we all have the power to live life with more ease and joy.
This blog serves as a space for all things balance, personal empowerment, upgrading habits & beliefs, happier lifestyle and more.